Chapter 360 - Bullet Hole
Everyone didn't have time to react from Kong Chuan and Raul taking out their guns, nor to ponder how they managed to snuck their guns in. Two gunshots rang out amidst the music played by the orchestra.
"AAAAAAAAH!!!" the guests screamed and fled in all directions to take cover and save themselves.
Gu Xingfeng who heard the first gunshot reflexively covered Hao Baiyun with his body before pushing him down to the floor, using the table to cover them two.
"W-w-w-what – " Hao Baiyun stammered as his face paled from the shock he received when he suddenly heard the gunshots.
"Don't move!" Gu Xingfeng told Hao Baiyun before he took out his own gun and peeked outside to see Huo Ling's and Yi Bing's situation before looking to where Kong Chuan and Raul are.
"Gu Xingfeng!" Hao Baiyun called after he has recovered from shock. "Don't bother with those two villains! Check how is xiao Ling!!!" he told him.
"Already did.. The MI6 protected them." Gu Xingfeng answered before he raised his gun and aimed at the table where Kong Chuan and Raul immediately hid after they shot Huo Ling and Yi Bing.
BANG! The third shot was heard amidst the low cries of the guests that hid under their tables. Everyone are influential people, so they know how to defend themselves. Thus, after the first two shots rung out, they reflexively hid.
Huo Ling stared at the bright ceiling above them as he lied on the floor. Yi Bing is lying on top of him after he covered him with hid body, before they fell on the floor. Huo Ling didn't feel any pain, since Yi Bing's hand covered the back of his head while his other hand was on his back to pad their fall, then both of them rolled to the side. Lu Si and Jonathan immediately reacted and pushed a table to cover them four.
"Yi Bing…?" he called while Lu Si eyed the place where Kong Chuan and Raul hid and Jonathan called the MI6 agents, telling them to enter and save the guests while the others catch Kong Chuan and Raul.
Huo Ling didn't hear Yi Bing respond.
"Xiao Ling." Jonathan called after he instructed the MI6 agents. He turned and saw Huo Ling's dazed expression as he stared at the ceiling. "Xiao Ling…?" he called.
Lu Si's and Jonathan's phones rang, indicating that the MI6 agents have finally caught Kong Chuan and Raul after the table where they were hiding suddenly fall on them. They found that the leg of the table was shot, making the table become unbalanced and fall on Kong Chuan and Raul, catching them off-guard.
It was the third shot, and it came from Gu Xingfeng. But, Lu Si and Jonathan didn't respond to their subordinates as they looked at Huo Ling in horror.
"Xiao Ling…" Jonathan called as his pupils trembled while he looked at his nephew.
Huo Ling's tears silently streamed down his cheeks while he hugged Yi Bing's head resting on his chest. Yi Bing's back is facing Jonathan and Lu Si, so they saw the blood flowing out of the hole on his back, on the chest area, making his clothes dyed red.
"Good job!" Hao Baiyun praised Gu Xingfeng after he saw the table fell on Kong Chuan and Raul. Seeing that the MI6 agents handcuffed Kong Chuan and Raul and left, Hao Baiyun ran to see Huo Ling. "Xiao Ling!" he called. "Xiao Ling!" he finally saw him. But, Huo Ling is crying. "What…" he muttered before his gaze fell on Yi Bing's back. His eyes widened in shock and he froze on the spot. "He…" he muttered under his breath.
Gu Xingfeng ignored the MI6 agents that praised him when they passed by him while escorting the guests out of the palace. He followed Hao Baiyun and also saw Yi Bing's lying on top of Huo Ling, dead. He closed his eyes and sighed in dismay before he pulled Hao Baiyun towards him, holding his hand tight. No one knows how frightened he was earlier, fearing that a stray bullet might hit Hao Baiyun earlier if he reacted late.
"Xiao Ling." Lu Si called, breaking the silence. "Let him go. He's already…" his voice trailed off as Huo Ling's sob became louder.
"Yi Bing…" Huo Ling called as he buried his face on top of Yi Bing's head.
Jonathan's tears finally fell. Lu Si didn't speak anymore, nor Hao Baiyun and Gu Xingfeng. They gave Huo Ling some space to grieve for Yi Bing.
Suddenly, Gu Xingfeng, who was silent, his eyes caught something. "Wait…" he muttered and held his breath as he stared, wide-eyed, at Huo Ling.
Although he spoke in a low voice, but all the guests have vacated, so the surroundings are enveloped in silence. Thus, they heard him speak.
They all turned to him. "What is it?" Hao Baiyun asked and followed Gu Xingfeng's gaze, only to freeze when he also saw it.
Lu Si and Jonathan noticed Hao Baiyun's voice abruptly stopped. They looked at him and saw he and Gu Xingfeng are looking somewhere. They turned and felt their heart almost stopped beating when they also saw it.
Huo Ling's clothes are stained in blood because of Yi Bing's blood. But, the original white color of Huo Ling's clothes now changed. It is red, but of darker shade. And it's because of the almost imperceptible hole on the clothes of Huo Ling, on the side of his waist.
They don't know when did it happen. But, Huo Ling, who has been crying earlier as he grieved for Yi Bing, his sobs disappeared. The tears on his face have also dried on his now bloodless face. At this moment, they would be stupid if they won't realize what that hole on Huo Ling's clothes is.
It was the same hole on the clothes at the back of Yi Bing.
Meanwhile, Yi Bing's soul, that left his clone he made in this world, watched as Huo Ling, who cried for him earlier, now lie on the floor silently with his eyes closed. He remembered what happened earlier, in that split-second moment.
Everything happened so fast that even Jonathan and Lu Si, who have top-tier skills, couldn't react even if they have been watching Kong Chuan and Raul closely. No one expected that Kong Chuan and Raul could still find out about their impending arrest.
Kong Chuan hatefully glared at 'Huo Ling' who was dancing in the middle of the dancefloor with his 'female companion'. Then, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
BANG! Raul's eyes widened. Not because Kong Chuan shot fast. But, because Kong Chuan shot the wrong person!!! He didn't have the time to tell Kong Chuan, either, since some people have already seen them pulling out their guns! Thus, he aimed at the 'female companion' of the 'prince' and shot 'her'!
Everyone was stunned when they saw the bullet hit the 'prince's back while the prince hugged his 'female companion'. But, even though they were stunned to the point their mind became blank, they still saw that Raul aimed at the 'female companion' of the 'prince'.
Why is he aiming at 'her'? They thought. But, before they could find an answer, they saw that Raul shot 'her'. He really shot 'her'! They don't have time to ponder for anything else and immediately hid to save themselves.
Amidst the chaos, Yi Bing felt the whole world slowed down as he stared at Huo Ling while they fall to the floor. Huo Ling… he thought as he closed his eyes and hugged Huo Ling tight. One hand on the back of Huo Ling's head while his other hand on Huo Ling's back to protect Huo Ling's body from hitting the floor. I may know of your death, and can't stop it. But, I still can make you feel less pain when it happens. He thought as he hugged Huo Ling tight after his body received the bullet intended for Huo Ling.
He closed his eyes. Not because he doesn't want to see the horrified look on Huo Ling's face, after Huo Ling witnessed what happened to him and realized that he saved him, nor he is dying. He closed his eyes because he doesn't want to see another bullet coming towards them - precisely to Huo Ling.
In short, he doesn't want to see Huo Ling dying this time. His hands on the back of Huo Ling's head trembled. He was itching to end Huo Ling's life in his hands so that Huo Ling wouldn't feel, nor notice, he already died. He wanted to give Huo Ling a painless and quick death.
But, he can't. Not because he can bear to kill Huo Ling with his own hands - he can bear it, since he is a grim reaper, and it is for Huo Ling's sake. He can't kill Huo Ling because grim reapers can't intervene with the matters of life. Thus, he had to wrong Huo Ling to feel a little pain of being shot, and to wait a little longer for his death. This is a better death, though, compared to the original death intended for Huo Ling – being tortured to death.
Yi Bing lowered his head and smiled as they both fell to the ground, him on top of Huo Ling to continue protecting Huo Ling, even after his death.
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